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Tag: Walter “Big Train” Johnson

Kansas Profile – Now That’s Rural: Walter Johnson and George Sweatt

Legendary baseball players George Sweatt and Walter Johnson were both from Humboldt, Kansas.
Legendary baseball players George Sweatt and Walter Johnson were both from Humboldt, Kansas.

The World Series. It’s a great event for baseball fans. As the baseball season comes to its culmination, we are reminded of a time before racial integration when there were two World Series: One for major league baseball, and a second for what was called the National Negro League. Today we’ll learn about two young players who led their teams in each league.  Incredibly, those two players both came from the very same small town in rural Kansas. Thanks to Meredith Wiggins of the Kansas Humanities Council whose article served as our source and is used with permission in today’s Kansas Profile.

Walter “Big Train” Johnson was an icon in big league pitching a century ago, playing for 21 years with the Washingon Senators. He was the dominant power pitcher of his time, described as “one of the most celebrated and dominating players in baseball history.” Several of his pitching records still stand today, more than a century later.

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